A 53-year-old Capitol Heights man pleaded guilty this week to a caper gone bad, trying to rob a bank with the aid of a Prince George’s County police officer.
A year ago, Cpl. Eddie Lee Smith Jr., approached Earl Blake with the offer of a job — a break-in at a Temple Hills bank, according to court documents. The cop said he would cut the burglar alarm, unlock the doors and stand watch in his police cruiser, prosecutors said. All Blake had to do was hack open the ATM safe.
On the night of June 9, according to charging documents, Smith picked up Blake in his patrol car and drove to the SunTrust at 4625 Old Branch Ave. in Temple Hills. Smith handed over a black bag containing an electric grinder and saw, and instructed him on how to cut the ATM vault, the documents said.
As promised, Blake was able to walk into the bank’s front door without any problem. He found the safe, turned the surveillance cameras so that they couldn’t tape him and began to cut open the safe.
But about several hours into the heist, something went wrong. Either sparks or smoke from the burning metal set off the bank’s silent fire alarm.
Prince George’s County firefighters rushed to the bank and found Smith’s cruiser parked next to the bank. Smith got out and explained to the firefighters that he had checked the building and the bank was secure. The firefighters could smell the odor of burning metal.
Blake, noticing the fire engine’s flashing emergency lights, ran out the rear door. Smith appeared to give chase but returned without the culprit, police said. He hopped in his cruiser without saying a word to the firefighters or contacting dispatcher.
Blake was captured shortly afterward, and police said they found evidence linking him to Smith. The 16-year police veteran was charged two days later. He has since resigned.
Blake will be sentenced Aug. 12. A trial date has not been scheduled for Smith. Both men face up to 20 years.
